Page 67 of Rogue

I could try and make a run for it. Get lost in the darkness and the trees. But that’s exactly what will happen. I’d get lost. And I’d have these five chasing me. I have to bide my time. Pick my moment.

The interior of the trailer is just as nasty and shabby as the outside, with a single, half rotted sofa under a grimy window, a small kitchen that’s more black than its original light brown and a table off to the side. I don’t even want to see what’s in the back. The smell of a decomposing dead thing—hopefully not a person—permeates everything.

“What’s gonna happen now?” I ask as one of the men pushes me onto the sofa. The smell of rot and dirt rising from it makes me gag.

The rest encircle me, blocking the way to the door.

“You’re gonna sit tight, while we wait for Rabid Dogz MC,” Tito says.

“And then you’ll use me as bait?” I ask.

He chuckles. “What’s left of you.”

I ignore that so hard I hardly know how to think or speak for a couple moments.

“Is this about the war the Devils are fighting?” I ask.

Tito lights a cigarette off the candle on the kitchen countertop.

“See, you do know what’s going on,” he says. “Not just a pretty faced nobody, are you?”

They’d likely already raised the alarm back at the hospital after I just vanished. Everyone got a good look at Unholy. Rogue will be wondering where I am too when I don’t show up at the clubhouse after my shift. He’ll come looking for me. He’ll find me. And yes, the Devils will ride for me.

But that can’t happen. Not if it’s gonna lead to more of them dying. I will never be the cause of that.

The roar of Harleys grows deafeningly loud outside.

“Ah, the Dogz are here,” Tito says, smiling. “Watch her.”

All but one of the guys leave the trailer to go meet them.

“You got her?” a male voice asks outside. The walls of the trailer are so thin, I can hear him as clearly as I would if he were standing right next to me.

“Yeah, we got her,” Tito says.

“Hand her over then,” the Rabid Dogz MC guy growls. “And then we’ll be in touch.”

“Not so fast,” Tito says and I hear the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking. “We’re all coming with you. I’m gonna get what I came for.”

“Where’s Unholy?” the other guy says. “Didn’t he explain how this is gonna work?”

“He had a change of heart,” Tito says. “Wanted us out of the equation. Now he’s out of the equation, if you know what I mean. I hope he wasn’t your friend.”

In the silence that follows the shuffling of feet against the dry ground is as loud as an avalanche.

“Unholy’s always been a cagey bastard,” the Dogz guy finally says. “No great loss that he’s gone. But we need the woman and we need to move now. The Devils are in the area and Cross’ son is with them. If we move fast, we can hit them right where it hurts the most.”

“So, let’s stop fucking around and get this done,” Tito says. “I want to speak with your Prez before I hand her over. I’m not backing down from that.”

Another tense silence follows. The guy with me is so tense he’s shaking as he peers out the window to see what’s going on outside.

“I’m Teller, I’m the Prez,” the Rabid Dogz MC guy finally says. “Bring her out now and then we’ll talk.”

Tito laughs. “Nope. We talk first. I want a promise that you’ll help us wipe out the club that killed my father.”

“Enough of this shit,” Teller says and it’s followed by more guns being cocked. “We ain’t got any time to lose.”

The guy in the trailer with me draws his gun too and puts it to my head.

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